Behind the booth
by sti
Summary: Modern P&P story, not LBD. Having embarrassing parents doesn't have to be always a bad thing, sometimes it could lead to something completely unexpected.


**My friend Maria beta-read this story for me, thank you Mimi!**

**This story was originally written for "Harvest Celebrations Challenge" on DLC.**

„Hello, I am home!" Lizzy hollered and she threw her bags on the floor while trying to toe off her shoes. She studied and worked in London and came "home" only as a visitor now.

"Oh, Lizzy, you came! How was the train ride?" Her mother came out of the kitchen in her apron and her hands were still dirty from flour. "I was a bit worried that you will be busy with work and won't come to this year's ball! Bill Collins was asking about you."

Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Mum, you know I despise that guy."

"Oh, young lady, no more of it. Bill is a perfectly nice young man, you should be happy he is showing an interest in you." Fanny Bennet waggled her finger in front of Lizzy's face.

"Mum, no." Lizzy dropped her shoes and finally hugged her. "I am happy to be home this weekend, just don't spoil it for me with Bill." She tried a puppy-eyed look which she learnt from Lydia.

Surprisingly, it worked. "All right, I won't tell another word about Bill." Her mother zipped her mouth playfully.

Lizzy started cheering internally. Unfortunately, Fanny had not finished yet. "However, you will go with your father to this evening's celebration's instead of me." She added victoriously.

"Oh, Mum!" Lizzy whined.

Her mother raised her eyebrow challengingly. "So which will it be, hm?"

Lizzy knew when to admit defeat. "I will go." She sighed. She loved her father to pieces, he was her hero, she would follow him anywhere but not that day. The only three days in a year when she would rather avoid him – the Meryton's Harvest Celebration.

"Yay." Her mother actually jumped a bit. "Wear the yellow dress. Maybe you will meet a nice young man there. Not Bill, I mean." She added hastily.

"Mum!" Lizzy complained while she stomped upstairs. "I have enough on my plate without any stupid men in the way."

"Just wait and see!" Fanny called from downstairs. "One day you will meet a nice young man just for you, like Charles was for Jane, and you will want to impress him. Mark my words!"

In the end, Lizzy decided to take the easiest way out and listen to her mother. The yellow dress actually fit her very well. She twirled one last time before the mirror, sighed and grabbed her purse. It was time to face her father. He was waiting impatiently by the front door.

"Hello Daddy!" Lizzy kissed his cheek affectionately.

"Hello my dear. Well, look at you, how you've grown!" He laughed as he hugged her.

"Oh, Dad, you mean since last month? I don't think so." Lizzy shook her head at him playfully.

He offered her his arm. "Shall we go, my lady?"

Lizzy took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what was coming. "Yes, let's." She smiled as she accepted his hand.

The whole square was busting with life. There were booths all over the place where local people presented their products. There were carousels for the young generation and home-brewed beer for the adults.

People were standing scattered in front of the central stage, talking, laughing and gossiping, not paying the attention to whatever presentation was taking place there at the moment.

Lizzy fought for her fake smile to stay on her face. It was getting dark, the torches were being lit all around the square creating warm and somewhat antique atmosphere and her father just would not stop.

"Oh, Mr Wilson!" Her father shook his hand with the older gentleman enthusiastically. "May I introduce you to my daughter Elizabeth."

"Pleased to meet you." The older man smiled at her.

"Pleased to meet you, too." Lizzy replied politely.

"Oh, Mr. Wilson is my main purchaser of wool, Lizzy! He has been my partner for the last three years, you know, I could not introduce you earlier, you were always in London when he came." Mr Bennet explained enthusiastically and then continued without taking a breath. "This is the daughter I told you about, she will take over the family business one day. She is already a vet but now she is taking classes in business. Clever girl, isn't she?"

Mr Wilson smiled politely. "Of course, I am looking forward to working with you, miss."

"O-of course. Thank you." Lizzy stammered a bit. She hated situations like these, her father bragging about his smart daughter, showing her off to all his customers and business partners.

"If you will excuse us, Mr Wilson." Mr Bennet saw another of his friends nearby. "I will certainly seek you out later; we have to discuss prices for next year. Come along, Lizzy-bit." He grabbed her hand and dragged her closer to the stand.

"Mrs. Lucas," he called joyfully at his feed material supplier, "have you met our Lizzy yet? She is to be my successor-"

The evening continued in the same fashion. Her father paraded Lizzy to his friends, she was red in the face from embarrassment. _Once a year, I can survive it. Just once. _She chanted silently in her head.

Her father seemed to undergo a personality swap with her mother every time this time of year.

"...and Lizzy, you must absolutely meet Mr. Darcy. He has a big farm in the north, we are thinking about merging and-" her father went on and on.

Lizzy could not take it anymore. "Dad, I am going to look at Mrs. King's booth to look at some lace, I will meet you later, ok?" She did not even wait for his reply and hurried in the opposite direction.

She closed her eyes in relief when she leaned on the back of the Jenkinson's booth of smoked meat products. "Finally."

"Uh, excuse me?" A deep baritone voice addressed her from somewhere below.

She shrieked a bit in fright. "Oh! I sorry! What are you doing here?" She squinted in the dark at the man.

He was sitting on the pavement, obviously not caring about ruining his suit. His jacket was carelessly discarded next to him, along with his tie. He rolled up his sleeves. Lizzy sighed; she had a weakness for muscular forearms.

He was leaning on the booth, with his legs stretched out. He exhaled exasperatedly. "I assume the same thing as you. Hiding." He added darkly as he banged his head onto the booth. "Do you want to join me?" He added gallantly.

"I-if you don't mind, I would love to." Lizzy smiled. "My father is driving me crazy."

"Be glad it's only one person. I am running from my friend's sister who decided that we are soul mates apparently. Then there is my aunt's accountant who needs to "assure me of his loyalty". And my business partner bragging about his daughter." He said miserably.

"Oh, poor you." Lizzy giggled. "You just completely improved my mood. My father doesn't sound so horrible compared to your troubles now."

"Yes, laugh at me." He replied with mock scowl. "You could help me out." He added hopefully.

"Oh? How?" Lizzy stretched comfortable next to him.

"Just stay with me and talk?" He asked with a smile.

"I think I could do that-" Lizzy looked at him questioningly.

"William." He held out his hand.

"Lizzy." She grabbed his hand and shook it.

They spent the next two hours in comfortable companionship, exchanging horror stories about younger siblings, embarrassing situations their parents put them in, complaining about their "suitors".

It did not take long for William to ask her out on a date. When they were finally discovered, they were so taken with each other that it did not matter that Lizzy was the feared daughter of his future business partner or that William was the supposedly boring farmer from the North.

_One year later_

"Oh, come on, father is getting closer." Lizzy tugged her boyfriend's hand and urged him to hurry.

William smiled boyishly. "Let's go check out Jenkinson's booth."

They both laughed merrily as they braved the crowd hand in hand.

**The End**

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